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The NBA Finals 2023 matchup hasn't been set yet. The Denver Nuggets, who finished first in the Western Conference, swept the LA Lakers and advanced to the final stage. They will play against either the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics.
Considering that the Heat have a 3-0 lead and that Game 4 is in Miami, they will likely meet the Nuggets in the next round. No NBA team has ever returned from being down 0-3, and the Celtics likely won't either.
The 2023 NBA Finals will start in June. Even if the Heat sweep the Celtics on Tuesday night, the first game of the series won't be moved up. Due to this, basketball fans will have to wait for Thursday, June 1, for the first game of the series.
The NBA Finals 2023 will feature two teams that have never played in the playoffs before
The Denver Nuggets have been one of the best NBA teams over the last few years. However, they haven't been able to reach the finals since joining the professional basketball league.
Since the ABA-NBA merger, the Nuggets have advanced to the Western Conference Finals a few times, but they only won the series in 2023. Whether they face the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics, this will be the first playoff series between these teams.
The first game of the 2023 NBA Finals will be played on Thursday, June 1. Considering that the Nuggets have a homecourt advantage over the Heat, the game of the series will be played at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.
If the Celtics shock the world and advance to the finals, they will have a homecourt advantage over the Nuggets. Due to this, the first two games would be played at TD Garden.
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Here's a full schedule for the series:
- Game 1: June 1, 8:30 PM ET
- Game 2: June 2, 8 PM
- Game 3: June 7, 8:30 PM
- Game 4: June 9, 8:30 PM
- Game 5*: June 12, 8:30 PM
- Game 6*: June 15, 8:30 PM
- Game 7*: June 18, 8 PM
* - The game will be played if necessary
Every game of the 2023 NBA Finals will be broadcast on ABC. However, basketball fans can also watch the series on the NBA League Pass.
The Miami Heat are 34-38 against the Nuggets all-time and lost both games during the regular season. In fact, the Nuggets are on a six-game win streak against Miami, as the Heat haven't beaten them since August 2020.
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The Boston Celtics have had much more success against Denver. They've won 60 out of 98 games played against the Nuggets, including six out of the last seven. They were 1-1 in the regular season.
